Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/baʕlat-

This Proto-Semitic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Semitic

Etymology

From *baʕl- (“master”) +‎ *-at- (feminine suffix).

Noun

*baʕlat- f

1. mistress, lady

   Coordinate term: *ṣ́arrat-

Inflection

Declension of *baʕlat-

case	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*baʕlatum	*baʕlatāna	*baʕlātum
accusative	*baʕlatam	*baʕlatayna	*baʕlātim
genitive	*baʕlatim
possessive forms
1st person	*baʕlatī / *baʕlatVya	—	*baʕlatVni
2nd person m	*baʕlatVka	*baʕlatVkumā / *baʕlatVkumay	*baʕlatVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*baʕlatVki		*baʕlatVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*baʕlatVšu	*baʕlatVšumā / *baʕlatVšumay	*baʕlatVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*baʕlatVša		*baʕlatVšin(ā)

the endings -m and -na are dropped in the bound form, which may also undergo syncopation of an unstressed final vowel where possible. Note: the ending -V before the possessive endings responds to case: *baʕlatuya for nom. case, *baʕlatiya for gen. case, *baʕlataya for acc. case, etc.

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒎏 (bēltum)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: بَعْلَة (baʕla)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic:

        Palmyrene Aramaic: 𐡡𐡰𐡫𐡶𐡪 (bʿltk, literally “your lady”)

        • Classical Syriac: ܒܱ݁ܥܠܬܴ݁ܐ (baʿltā)
      • Canaanite:
        • Biblical Hebrew: בַּעֲלָה (baʿălâ), בַּעֲלָת (baʿălāṯ)
        • Phoenician: 𐤁𐤏𐤋𐤕 (bʿlt)
      • Ugaritic: 𐎁𐎓𐎍𐎚 (bʿlt)
    • → Akkadian: 𒁀𒀪𒀠𒌅 (ba-ʾ-al-tu /⁠baʾaltu⁠/), 𒁀𒀪𒆷𒌅 (ba-ʾ-la-tu /⁠baʾlatu⁠/)
  • Modern South Arabian:
    • Mehri: bālīt
    • Shehri: āʿlét, baʿalét
    • Soqotri: báləh

References

• Huehnergard, John (2019) “Proto-Semitic”, in Huehnergard, John and Na'ama Pat-El, editors, The Semitic Languages, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN